As an upgraded and more powerful PlayStation 4, the new PlayStation 4 Pro delivers dynamic 4K entertainment which enables you to stream the biggest movies, hottest TV shows and latest videos in 4K resolution from Netflix, YouTube and a host of other entertainment apps. However, the biggest omission with the new PS4 Pro will not have a 4K Blu-ray player, but will instead just support regular HD Blu-rays and DVD.

Will PS4 Pro update with 4K Blu-ray support?
Sony has its own official reason for not including the UHD BD Drive in the PS4 Pro, there are also countless other attempts by PS4 fans to justify Sony's decision such as the excruciatingly optimistic suggestions from some quarters that the PS4 Pro may be able to add Ultra HD Blu-ray support via a firmware update. However, Sony's CE division states that it's been waiting to launch an Ultra HD Blu-ray player until 4K distribution via disc becomes 'common' - something it seems to anticipate happening as early as in 2018.

There was a rumour, sorry no link as I think it was a post in the PS4 forum, that a further revision of the Pro will include a UHD player, possibly launching later this year.

I think that's doubtful, I would imagine Sony are quietly putting together the PS5 and are unlikely to release another version of the PS4. UHD players will start to drop in price with 2nd gen players coming along this Spring and those "in the know" typically say that a dedicated player is always preferable to a console.

As an upgraded and more powerful PlayStation 4, the new PlayStation 4 Pro delivers dynamic 4K entertainment which enables you to stream the biggest movies, hottest TV shows and latest videos in 4K resolution from Netflix, YouTube and a host of other entertainment apps. However, the biggest omission with the new PS4 Pro will not have a 4K Blu-ray player, but will instead just support regular HD Blu-rays and DVD.

Will PS4 Pro update with 4K Blu-ray support?
Sony has its own official reason for not including the UHD BD Drive in the PS4 Pro, there are also countless other attempts by PS4 fans to justify Sony's decision such as the excruciatingly optimistic suggestions from some quarters that the PS4 Pro may be able to add Ultra HD Blu-ray support via a firmware update. However, Sony's CE division states that it's been waiting to launch an Ultra HD Blu-ray player until 4K distribution via disc becomes 'common' - something it seems to anticipate happening as early as in 2018.

The reason the PS4 Pro can't support UHD Blu-ray is because:
1) It is not SL3000 DRM secure, it only has Trusted boot which makes it as secure as a 3 year old PC. With the DRM security level it has, somewhere around SL2500, it is secure enough for 1080P media including one of the UHD modes 1080P + HDR. The PS4 uses the GPU for codecs which is not a DRM secure processor.
2) While blu-ray drives from 2011 can support BDXL modes, it has no HDCP 2.2 DRM mode over the USB or eSATA bus from drive DSP TEE to Platform TEE. The drive must also support another feature designed to insure separate modes between HD and UHD disk formats where registers in the Drive DSP are used differently.

The PS4 pro GPU can support HEVC, the HDMI port can support 4K@60FPS with HDCP 2.2 negotiation supported by the GPU and the Blu-ray drive can read BDXL disks but UHD Blu-ray has DRM requirements that the PS4 Pro drive and GPU can't support.

AMD Secure Processor and Memory Encryptionwas not available when the PS4 launched, while the ARM secure processor was in earlier APUs, memory encryption and secure processor which can include the GPU used for codecs was first discussed in 2015 whitepapers and made it into some 2016 APUs and Ryzen CPUs in 2017. AMD's Infinity fabric appears to always include Secure processor and memory encryption. This I believe is secure enough to support UHD Blu-ray DRM, it's a trusted execution environment. I believe this is what Sony is waiting on to support UHD Blu-ray.

Why didn't the Pro have it? It requires different registers and more transistors increasing the cost of the APU for only UHD Blu-ray. Other UHD streaming IPTV is allowed on PCs and the PS4 if the content owners allow but UHD Blu-ray has a fixed DRM level high enough to satisfy all content owners.

If Tracygreen is correct: "Sony's CE division states that it's been waiting to launch an Ultra HD Blu-ray player until 4K distribution via disc becomes 'common' - something it seems to anticipate happening as early as in 2018."It should happen in 2018.

Originally Posted by https://www.dailystar.co.uk/tech/gaming/684344/PS5-Release-Date-PlayStation-Sony-PSVR2-Virtual-Reality-PS4-Xbox-One-Nintendo-Switch

Sony also believe its going to be much more than just a video games device in future, citing a forthcoming planetarium application to explore space virtually and the ability to watch blockbuster moves in a 360-degree space.

= VR/360 which can be done with middle of the road PCs and I think current PS4s at lower resolution. Blockbuster movies likely means UHD Blu-ray support.

Quote:

In a statement to Nikkei, Sony said it expects to increase its PS VR titles by around 80% by the end of 2018 to 280 games.

Although we've seen a new model of PSVR launched (which allows for HDR input) such a significant upgrade (going wireless) could be the logical next step for a 'PSVR 2'.

Speaking to Official PlayStation Magazine UK (via Wccftech) earlier this year, Vancol said he did not think the PS5 should be bundled with a PSVR 2 headset.